11.12.13

25 Lifehacks for Productivity

1. Learn to say NO

Deciding what is and isn't
important is one skill. But having the guts to say NO when you know something
isn't important or is disruptive to your flow, is quite another. Learn it.

2. Take public transport

Ditch the fancy car - take
the bus or the train. Your mind will be free to get things done during your
commute. You can get a head-start on emails, plan your todos or even do actual
work if there's enough space.

3. Listen to educational
podcasts while you commute

Or use that time to enhance
your mind! Learn a language or other new skill through your headphones - all
while everyone else on the train is listening to Justin Bieber or morning
radio. Intellectual smug face optional.

4. Try to live central to
the things important to you

If you find yourself
hanging out in a particular part of town often, try to live somewhere
equidistant between there and work. Sounds simple, but it will hugely cut down
on your time spent on transport.

5. Work from home

Figure out what tasks can
be done at home and convince your boss it can be done. Free from the
distraction of coworkers, meetings, long lunches, commutes - you'll be more
productive than ever.

6. Use website-blocking
software

Website blockers like StayFocusd can give you a virtual slap on the
wrist every time you try to access Facebook or Reddit while working. Over time,
they can build a good habit of not checking social media while working.

7. Prioritize effectively

Decide what is the most
important thing you need to do that day and do it first.

8. Be goal orientated
rather than follow a todo list

Todo lists are useful but
they can either become unwieldy or you can forget to update them with new
tasks. Think about goals rather than specific todos and aim to complete them.

9. Make a "leave the
house" mixtape

Know you need 30 mins in
the morning to get ready? Make a 30 min mixtape and aim to leave before the
last song plays. It's a neat psychological trick!

10. Use the Seinfeld X
technique

When asked how did he get
so good at stand up, Seinfeld revealed his method for making sure he practiced
every day. Every day he practiced, he put a red X in the calendar. After a week
of Xs it was so satisfying to see, that he didn't want to break the chain.
Practice makes perfect and figuring out a hack that can keep you at it, is half
the battle.

11. OHIO

Only Handle It Once. If you
receive an email and can reply to it quickly, reply right away. Reason being,
if you leave it until later, the time spent replying plus the time
spent remembering over and over that you need to reply (and delegating it until
later) ends up being much more than if you just replied to the email right
away.

12. Make time to exercise

Release some endorphins -
they are great for the mind! Exercise will help you to focus when you need to.
Plus it's also, you know, good for your body.

13. Create rock solid
deadlines

Nothing will spur you into
action more than a seemingly insurmountable challenge, and an ever-advancing
date in the calendar when it all has to be completed.

14. Learn how to create
tasks

"Lose weight"
isn't a task. It's a goal that has many tasks associated with it. Split goals
into clear, concise tasks.

15. Turn your desk/walls
into a whiteboard

Having informal space to
doodle thoughts is great for capturing ideas and flashes of brilliance - or
impromptu collaboration.

16. Eliminate bad habits

You know all those
time-wasting things you do? Stop doing them. There that was easy.

17. Meditate

Here's a simple breathing
exercise that will help you focus. Breathe in while counting to 3, breathe out
while counting to 4. Repeat for a minute or so until relaxed and focused.

18. Batch mundane tasks

By nature we tend to drag
out mundane tasks. Batch them together to spend less time on them, leaving more
time for tasks we enjoy.

19. Use virtual assistants

Waiting on hold is a waste
of time - luckily there are services like Lucyphone who can do the waiting for you.

20. No meeting Wednesdays

At Asana, Dustin Moskovitz employs a "no meeting
Wednesday" rule, meaning that the entire company knows wednesdays are for
glorious, uninterrupted work

21. Sleep early

Your mind can't function
properly if you're tired. Sleep early so you're not tired during the day when
you need your brain performing optimally.

22. Start work early and
work fewer hours

The morning hours are great
for productivity. At 6am, there's not many other people up, you'll be
relatively free from distractions and your mind is fresh from resting. You can
pack a full day of work into just 3 hours from 6am to 9am. Try it.

23. Learn the Pomodoro
Technique

In a nutshell: Decide on a
task. Set a timer for 25 mins. Focus and work as hard as possible. When the
timer goes off, take a break for 5 minutes. Repeat the process, taking a longer
15-30 minute break every few cycles.

24. Get a second monitor

Not having to switch or
rearrange windows can give a serious productivity boost - and monitors these
days are pretty cheap.

25. Carry a random report

A bit of social hackery. If
you work in an office, carry around random, important-looking bits of paper.
People will be less likely to hassle you or drag you into an impromptu meeting
if you walk with the hustle of a Very Busy Persom (TM).